Chris Moore Bayou Wall Ride

Image 2 of 10

by Chris Moore

It’s been said a million times at this point, “winching is pushing the sport of wakeboarding to a new level.” Everyone has pretty much accepted it, and if you haven’t, you should. But at this point winching is not even original anymore. Every wakeboarder and wakeskater has played on a wide array of drop sizes, most have built pretty legit pool gaps, and a large handful have shredded the hell outta some boards on concrete. So what makes a winch spot original?

Well to me, YOU do. No one has to agree but I feel the more work put into a spot, the bigger the reward. The only problem in the last sentence is the word “work”. Ya it’s much easier to just show up, ride and go home but doin’ work is half the fun of winching. So to keep it fresh here are a few thoughts that go through my head when settling into a new spot.

DO WHAT YOU WANT. First off create your own feel. Try not to build something someone else did, just because they did it. Bring your own
ideas to the plate and swing away. I know not everything is shredable so we are all bound to hit the same thing at some point, but set it up in a way that you are comfortable with it, not the way you think it’s supposed to go.

USE YOUR SURROUNDINGS. Its always fun to have a theme. Flip a canoe over on a river or at a camp site. Slide some corrugated pipe under a
highway. Use trees for posts to keep that natural feel, or slice it in half and slide the raw center. Try and play off your location as much as possible.

THINK. I hardly ever walk up to a new location with a plan in tact. Take a moment to feel the spot out and think, “what can I do here that I will enjoy.” Also try and flow with the location, especially in rivers. Play off banks and curves on the shoreline, they usually set you up for something original such as awkward wall rides and slant rails.

DIG. Pool gaps themselves aren’t necessarily original, it’s the way you put them together. If you are on a sand bar, grab a shovel. Sand actually packs in tight and holds water pretty well without needing plastic. If you are in some deep woods, find a few fallen trees, build a rectangle and then lay down plastic. Pretty simple, and it works. Of course a trash pump will be necessary for these options.

KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED
. I know all of us constantly keep a look out
when driving for winch spots. But half the time you pass on free materials due to the fact you are looking too hard just for locations. I realize you have to have a location in order to use these free materials but everything will come together better if you have both.

Basically add your own style to your winch spot, not just your riding. So grab your crew and start building. And always remember….Safety First.